Abstract: Systems and methods for outcome based pricing may be useful in conjunction with an enterprise resource planning system in order to generate desired outcomes for a customer and provide optimized profitability for the vendor. Outcome based pricing is achieved by first generating a bundle of line items. The line items are selected from a listing of known goods and services, and each line item includes an output. The summation of the outputs for the bundle of line items achieves a desired outcome. The desired outcome includes a quantity value and a quality value, and is received from a customer. Next, the bundle of line items is priced to determine invoice price, pocket price and margin. More than one such bundle is generated for the desired outcome, each bundle containing different combinations of line items. The pricing for each of these bundles is compared to identify a preferred bundle.

Abstract: The present invention provides a flexible pricing method for providing pricing adjustments for a product in a deal in response to price variations in selected indexes. The method comprises: designating an index for the product wherein said index has a published index value; and computing a price for said product based on said published index value. The invention also provides for periodically re-pricing deals with index-based pricing terms.

Abstract: The present invention provides a flexible pricing method for providing pricing adjustments for a product in a deal in response to price variations in selected indexes. The method comprises: designating an index for the product wherein said index has a published index value; and computing a price for said product based on said published index value. The invention also provides for periodically re-pricing deals with index-based pricing terms.

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for generating a deal summary including comparisons of different pricing methods. A user, or a multi-dimension top down negotiator system, supplies a time and materials quote to the system through a negotiation interface. A fixed price quote generator then utilizes the received time and materials quote to generate a fixed price quote. Likewise, a gain share quote generator utilizes the received time and materials quote to generate a gain share quote. The gain share quote may include a variable percentage share on future return on investment. A net present value calculator then generates the net present value for the generated quotes using expected future interest rates. A deal summary generator compiles the net present values for the quotes into a deal summary for comparison purposes. This deal summary is utilized to answer a request for proposal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for multi-dimensional top down negotiations. A user supplies negotiated deal dimensions to an allocator. The allocator may also be able to set some of the dimension values to a default value. A line item generator may then perform transformational algorithms on the negotiated deal dimensions to generate line items. A line item override module may then receive user overrides for specific line items, and update the line items using the overrides. This update may include the recalculating of other line items affected by the override. A summarizer may generate a deal summary using the updated line items. A normalization engine may also normalize the deal summary to current market value to facilitate comparisons of the deal summary. The deal summary may include any of a blended rate per hour, an income, a cost, a product margin, and a net present value. Further, the deal summary may be broken down by geography, period and resource type.

Abstract: The present invention presents systems and methods of future-pricing in an integrated price management system. The invention provides a method of maintaining at least one deal with a lowest price status for at least one product in the price management system by inputting a proposed price for product; searching the price management system for deals having the product with the lowest price status; defining a current lowest price as equal to the price of the product; and, if said proposed price is less than said current lowest price, then computing a potential revenue impact of lowering the price of said product to the proposed price.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for preparing a price quote for a product. The product is selected from among a plurality of products. A determination is made as to whether the product is a member of a particular product collection. This determination includes evaluating a dynamic selection rule set associated with the particular product collection. When the product is determined to be a member of the particular product collection, the method includes the additional steps of (i) identifying one or more price rules associated with the particular product collection and (ii) applying these price rules to the product in order to determine the price quote for the product.

Abstract: A method for computing a price quote for a product using a contract. The method includes identifying the set of price rules for a plurality of products associated with the contract. Each price rule in the set of price rules is either a hard price rule or a soft price rule. Each hard price rule includes a price rule expression and a price rule type and each soft price rule comprises a price rule type. A collection of price rules is generated including, for each soft rule in the set of price rules, hard price rules that are associated with the product and that have the same price rule type as the soft price rule. Hard price rules that are associated with the contract are also added to the collection of price rules. A pricing scheme that is to be used in order to determine the price quote for the product is selected and used to resolve the hard price rules in the collection of price rules in order to determine the price quote.

Abstract: A method for computing a price quote for a product using a contract. The method includes identifying the set of price rules for a plurality of products associated with the contract. Each price rule in the set of price rules is either a hard price rule or a soft price rule. Each hard price rule includes a price rule expression and a price rule type and each soft price rule comprises a price rule type. A collection of price rules is generated including, for each soft rule in the set of price rules, hard price rules that are associated with the product and that have the same price rule type as the soft price rule. Hard price rules that are associated with the contract are also added to the collection of price rules. A pricing scheme that is to be used in order to determine the price quote for the product is selected and used to resolve the hard price rules in the collection of price rules in order to determine the price quote.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for preparing a price quote for a product. The product is selected from among a plurality of products. A determination is made as to whether the product is a member of a particular product collection. This determination includes evaluating a dynamic selection rule set associated with the particular product collection. When the product is determined to be a member of the particular product collection, the method includes the additional steps of (i) identifying one or more price rules associated with the particular product collection and (ii) applying these price rules to the product in order to determine the price quote for the product.